Love is Never Easy
by Divine Lustre
Summary: A story about Ben & Kate from Fairly Legal...because I adore them! The story picks up about three months after the Season Two finale with a twist I could't resist putting in you guys are just gonna have to trust me on this one! Most of the story will be told from Kate's perspective, with occasional insight into Ben's gorgeous head.
1. A Perfectly Crappy Saturday Morning

**Chapter 1: A PERFECTLY CRAPPY SATURDAY MORNING**

Kate looked out at the scenic urban landscape encompassing her balcony and took a sip of her morning coffee. It was a gorgeous Saturday: clear blue sky, the sun shining brightly overhead, birds chirping happily all around, and the outdoor temperature indicating that it was going to be a perfectly balmy day in the city of San Francisco. There was only one thing missing. She couldn't help glancing to her left every few seconds hoping to catch a glimpse of her neighbor enter the balcony and join her from right next door. When she'd first moved into her new place nearly three months ago, they'd spent regular morning coffee sessions out there together on weekends. However, lately she'd noticed that his efforts to join her outside had begun dwindling. Not only were they interacting far less as next door neighbors, but that distance had started to carry over to the office as well. Of course he still helped her willingly when she approached him about a case, but he seemed to purposely confine their conversations to business and nothing more, and once his role in the case had played out, he stepped away without offering any additional assistance. He didn't resort to humor quite so much or try to make her smile like he used to. What bothered her more is that his relationships with Lauren and Leo had remained intact. He still joked and laughed with them, and carried on about topics totally unrelated to work, which only made the difference in her dynamic with him that much more blatant. She couldn't help but be envious of her coworkers.

Still, Kate knew that she had brought this on herself. She knew that she couldn't really blame him for keeping his distance. The first cracks had started to show after she'd pulled out of their two person carpool. Initially he had driven her to work in the morning and they'd come home together at night – one of them having to wait until the other was done in order to leave the office together. While that had started out okay, things had gotten more and more awkward during their car rides to the point where Kate had decided that it was best for her to just take a cab to and from work rather than continue their arrangement. When he'd tried to object, stating how redundant her plan was considering that their destinations were the same, she had simply cited that she liked to sleep in longer, and coming to work at her own time would give her the freedom to do so. Upon hearing this, he had offered to leave a little later to appeal to her morning lethargy, but then she had countered that by saying that it didn't feel right being so dependent on him. That part had mostly been true. It sucked not being able to drive and having to rely on someone else to chauffer you from place to place. It was obvious he didn't mind, but there was more than one circumstance that had resulted in her finally deciding to withdraw from their carpool situation.

As she continued to gaze at the beauty surrounding her and secretly hoping that he'd show up, she felt a surge of regret at the part she'd played in their drifting apart. She had barely begun her ruminations when the loud rumbling of a van downstairs abruptly brought her out of her thoughts. The large white van had the words, "Charlie's Movers" painted in big, blue letters along the side. She watched the driver park in the loading zone and hop out of the vehicle. He spoke very briefly on his cell phone before hanging up and gesturing into the vehicle as another man got out from the passenger's side, rolled up the shutter door at the back of the van, and retrieved a dolly from inside. They both stood in waiting with their eyes trained on the building's back entrance. Within about a minute, someone stepped out from the door leading into the rear stairwell and walked out to meet the men standing by the van. The tall, slender man was clad in a pair of blue flannel pajamas, a grey t-shirt, and his tousled dark brown hair indicated that it hadn't been long since he had woken up. Kate's heart skipped a beat as she took in his appearance.

Ben acknowledged the two men and they conversed for about a minute or two before he gestured that he would lead them upward. The men followed him readily and disappeared into the building. A few moments later Kate could hear them enter the apartment next door and faint traces of their conversation carried through the wall. She didn't like the uneasy feeling starting to well up in the pit of her stomach at what she knew was happening. She continued to lean against the railing, shifting her weight nervously, anxiously awaiting any signs of life that might emerge downstairs. She didn't have to wait long before her suspicions were confirmed. Both men walked out carrying things from Ben's apartment – one of them carrying a lamp, and the other carrying an end table. Ben soon joined them heaving what looked like a rather heavy brown box and they placed all the items into the back of the van. All three men once again disappeared at the base of the building and without thinking twice, Kate turned on her heels, raced into her apartment, thumped her empty coffee mug on the kitchen counter, flung her front door open, and went into the hallway. She hurried toward Ben's apartment to find the front door slightly ajar. She nudged it open and her eyes widened as she stepped in and caught sight of all the large brown boxes strewn over the floor; most of them labeled with the articles inside each of them in Ben's horrible handwriting. She stood motionless, taking it all in…the unpleasant feeling still swirling around inside her.

"Kate?"

She turned around to see Ben standing there just outside the doorway accompanied by the two movers behind him.

"You're moving?" she asked, not really bothering to conceal her surprise or disappointment.

There was a brief, awkward silence as they stared at each other before he stepped inside.

"Uh, yeah," he said, nodding sheepishly.

"Why?" she asked, a little too quickly.

Another awkward silence.

Ben fumbled slightly before answering her.

"Uh…Well, you know, my lease is up this month and I thought it was time for a change of residence," he explained with a shrug. "Plus, Dave hooked me up with a really nice place in the downtown area…same crazy city traffic, but still a faster commute."

He smiled weakly at his poor attempt to lighten the situation.

She couldn't do much more than nod.

"Oh-h, I see. So, when did you come to this decision?" she asked.

"About a month ago. Alexis had called me around two months ago to see if I wanted to renew my lease. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but then the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to find someplace else, you know?" He hesitated briefly before he continued. "So I called Dave up and asked him to find me another place…you know, since he's so good at matching people up with the house of their dreams."

Kate nodded again.

"Mm-hmm," she said, trying to sound casual, but knowing just how true it had been in her case.

They stared at each other in silence, and despite the mixture of sadness and anger she was feeling at what was happening, it didn't stop her from pausing and noticing the obvious. The man was downright handsome as always. While he commanded every suit he owned with an air of sexiness and sophistication at work, she had grown to love his scruffy, yet charming, early morning boy-next-door look. Whatever would she do now that she would no longer be able to see that way?

"Did you need something?" he asked, breaking her trance.

It took her a few moments to snap out of it.

"Uh, no. I just saw you outside and was wondering what was going on…" she offered weakly.

He nodded awkwardly in response, not quite being able to offer anything verbally.

She had never been more thankful when one of the movers standing behind Ben cleared his throat. It was obvious that the awkwardness within the room had now spread into the hallway outside.

"Mister Grogan? Do you want us to keep loading?" he asked.

Ben's eyes were still fixed on Kate, but he turned his head slightly sideways to answer the man.

"Yes. Please do," he said, taking a few steps forward to allow the two men access indoors.

The men walked into the room and picked up a couple of heavy objects – Kate didn't even bother to look at what they were – before they headed back outside.

All she could focus on were those gorgeous, chocolate brown eyes staring back at her; and she knew that if she waited any longer, she just might get lost in them.

'Say something!' she thought. '_Anything_.'

She wasn't sure of how much more awkwardness the room couldn't handle before it might explode.

"Well, I'd better let you get back to this," she said, gesturing to the boxes around the room.

"Okay," he responded faintly.

With that, she walked past him and started to make her way to the exit, only to stop at the doorway and glance backward. She was grateful that he hadn't turned around, because if he had, he would've easily been able to read the disappointment on her face. She stepped into her apartment, softly shut the door, and leaned against it.

Ben was moving. He was _actually_ moving…and she couldn't help but wonder how much of it had to do with her.

This day had started out so perfectly, and yet here she was, ten minutes after she had been enjoying a cup of joe outside, feeling like it was one of the crappiest ones yet.

'Was Ben giving up?' She wondered.

Hurt, disappointment, guilt, and anger; all began setting in at once.


	2. Fate Revisits an Old Connection

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in this story and offered feedback, it's been very helpful and I really appreciate it! Now, I knew that having Ben move out from next door would prove to be an unpopular plot point even before I began penning this story, but I've felt strongly about my decision. We already have some really awesome FanFic being written about Ben & Kate as neighbors, so I wanted this story to be unique. I encourage you all to look at this as something a little different, which, in the end, adds variety to the numerous pieces of FanFic being written about this awesome couple around this time frame. I'm a Ben & Kate shipper like the rest of you, so in the end, we all want the same thing - with just the right amount of romance and angst mixed in, right? ;) Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to all you supportive Ben & Kate fans out there (special shout out to B.G.I.) who are open to something a little different!_

**Chapter 2: FATE REVISITS AN OLD CONNECTION**

"You _knew_, didn't you?" Kate demanded, slamming her case files on the desk and coming face to face with a startled Leo.

"…that you're not a morning person..?" Leo quipped, cautiously pulling back. "_Especially_ on a Monday morning?"

Kate stood up straight and groaned.

"That _he_ was planning to move out of our building," she said, pointing toward Ben's empty office.

"Ben moved out from next door?" Leo asked.

Kate studied Leo's face and deduced by his genuinely surprised expression that he seemed to have no foreknowledge of the situation whatsoever.

"Yeah, he moved out this weekend," she informed him, somewhat softening.

"Seriously?" Leo asked, still in shock.

"Mm-hmm," Kate confirmed, slumping into the chair across the desk from Leo.

"Wow. How about that?" Leo mused.

A hinting smirk began to form on his lips.

"What?" Kate questioned defensively.

"Oh…nothing," Leo replied, deliberately feigning nonchalance. "It's just interesting that it seems to bother you _so_ much that you and Ben are no longer balcony buddies."

"Wha..? Wait…that's not…no!" Kate stuttered, wagging her forefinger at Leo, whose smirk transformed into a knowing grin.

"And don't tell me it's because you're miffed that you no longer have a carpool," Leo forewarned. "I was standing right there when you pulled out," he finished, pointing to the exact spot where the conversation had taken place.

Kate glared at her assistant as he sat there with a smug grin pasted on his face and punished him by pelting a skittle in his direction.

"Ow!" he exaggerated, rubbing the spot on his chest where the piece of candy had ricocheted from a moment earlier. "So, if you're this annoyed with me...should I warn Sir Ben that he must brave a hailstorm of Skittles at the hands of the fair maiden, Kate, when he walks out of yonder elevator?"

Kate simply frowned at his goofiness and made her way into her office, slamming the door a little too hard behind her.

A few minutes later, the man of discussion walked in: suit pressed, shoes shined, tie and shirt perfectly coordinated, hair neatly gelled…just like any other workday.

"Good Morning, Leonardo," Ben's cheery voice called as he strolled toward his office. "Have a good weekend?"

Instead of responding, Leo got up from his desk and followed Ben into his office, shutting the door once they both were inside.

"Uh…what's up?" Ben asked in confusion as he set down his briefcase. "Did you do something so wild and crazy that you can only tell me about it behind closed doors?" he finished with a devilish grin.

"Why don't we talk about _your_ weekend, hmm?" Leo asked, crossing his arms. "Are you all moved out of your apartment?"

Ben's grin began to fade as his face grew serious.

"She told you, did she?"

"Uh…_yeah_!" Leo exclaimed. "What the hell are you thinking, man?"

Ben began to fidget with the pens in his pen holder.

"I needed a change of scenery?" he offered without looking at Leo.

"Really?" Leo asked, unconvinced. "And it had nothing to do with a certain coworker slash neighbor of your's named 'Kate Reed'?"

Ben looked up at Leo.

"Look, it's a lot more complicated than you think, okay?"

"So...what? You're giving up?" Leo asked.

Ben opened his mouth to elaborate, but then changed his mind and sighed before speaking again.

"Like I said, Leonardo: it's a _lot_ more complicated than you think."

Leo could tell that Ben wasn't in the mood to discuss the subject any further, so he decided to give up for the time being.

"Okay, well, I'd better get back to work," he said. "_For now_…" he added with emphasis.

Ben shook his head and broke into a small smile. He knew Leo well enough by now to know that he was relentless, and would rest assured be doing a follow up on this conversation in the very near future. Still, at least he'd bought himself some time for now. He needed to put aside all the personal stuff and concentrate on work. But how was he supposed to do that when only a few feet away, he knew that _she_ was also in her office? He couldn't resist glancing through the glass wall to see what she was doing.

Kate mentally kicked herself at being caught staring. She couldn't help but offer him a sheepish smile, hoping to God that he couldn't see her blushing red from across the distance. She decided that being caught had been worth it just to get a glance of his face. In any case, he had been looking into her office too, right?

She was so fixated on watching him position himself at his desk that Leo's knock on her door startled her.

"Come in," she said, drawing her eyes away from him as he sat down at his desk.

Leo popped in a second later.

"Your nine-fifteens are here. I just seated them in the Conference Room," he informed her. "But judging by the not-so-friendly expressions on their faces, I'd say the sooner you get in there and do your mediating thing, the better."

Kate nodded and started to make her way in that direction when Leo stopped her.

"And let me just say…" he added. "That chick in there? HOT!" he exclaimed, fanning himself with the case file in his hand to emphasize his point.

Kate simply shook her head as she accepted the file from him and lightly rapped him on the head with it.

"Ow! What's with all the violence today?" he joked. "You know, you really should take it all out on Ben!"

Kate rolled her eyes. Although he had been speaking in different context, Leo was right: the sooner she immersed herself in this case, the better.

Kate walked in to find both parties already seated on opposite sides along the length of the conference table. To say that the tension in the room was palpable would be an understatement.

She first turned to address the woman sitting alone on one side of the table. The slender, hazel-eyed brunette looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties. She wore a form fitting sleeveless black dress, her sleek brown hair cascading past her shoulders to her mid-back, her face delicately airbrushed with just the right blend of makeup to perfectly accentuate her features. Kate had to agree with Leo: the woman was strikingly beautiful.

"You must be Jenna," Kate said, walking over and extending her hand. "Kate Reed."

"It's nice to meet you," the woman said, taking Kate's hand and mustering a small smile.

Kate turned her attention to the two men sitting on the other side of the table. The older of the two got up and introduced himself.

"Grant Whitman," he said, shaking Kate's hand. "And this is my client, Brandon Parker."

Upon introduction, the younger blonde-haired, blue-eyed man, who appeared to be in his early thirties, stood up and shook Kate's hand as well. And for the second time within a few seconds, Kate couldn't help but notice the attractiveness of another member in the room – save for the older, sweaty, and overweight bald attorney in the room.

Of course when she put it all together, Brandon Parker's good looks weren't all that surprising. He and Jenna had previously been married, and it made perfect sense that a woman as pretty as Jenna had a partner as good looking as Brandon.

Now that the formalities and superficial deductions were out of the way, it was time to get to the more serious matters at hand. Kate took her seat at the head of the table and stepped into her role as mediator.

"Jenna, will your attorney be joining us?" she asked.

"Uh, no," Jenna began. "I'll be representing myself."

Brandon scoffed at the statement, earning a stern glare from his ex-wife. Kate cleared her throat and chose to ignore the exchange.

"Right, then. Let's get started," she began, opening her case file and clicking her pen.

Ben stepped out of the courtroom and glanced at his watch. It was 11:52, and he could officially add another case to his win column. After being sincerely thanked by his client and client's spouse, he made for the parking garage. On the way to his car, he debated whether to grab an early lunch before heading back to the office, or heading back to the office first, getting some paperwork done, and then heading out to lunch. Something almost intuitive told him to go with the latter.

Twenty minutes later he walked out of the elevator and through the doors of Reed & Reed, only to see Leo sitting at his desk, head propped lazily on one hand, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of him.

"Exciting day at the office?" Ben asked.

Leo sighed.

"You could say that," he replied. "If by 'exciting' you're referring to being so bored out of my mind that I'm actually trying to entertain myself with an online crossword puzzle. What's a five letter synonym for 'smart'; third letter 'f'?"

Ben pondered the question for a few seconds before shaking his head and giving up.

"I dunno," he said with a shrug. "The only five letter word on my mind is 'lunch,'" he finished.

"Mmm. Lunch sounds good right about now," Leo agreed.

"Are you in the mood for tacos?" Ben asked.

"Depends," Leo replied, quirking an eyebrow. "You buying?"

"Depends," Ben countered. "You gonna bug me about a certain little brunette I'd rather not discuss?"

Leo pondered the question.

"During lunch? Hell no. Afterwards? Maybe so," he said with a grin.

Ben considered the conditions.

"Deal," he accepted.

"Let me just let she-who-shall-not-be-named-until-after-tacos know," Leo joked.

Ben couldn't help but chuckle at the comment.

Over in the Conference Room, Kate sat with her elbows on the table, cradling her head in her hands, mentally wearing out by the minute. She tried to pinpoint the exact moment when she'd lost control of her mediation only for it to unravel to its present state.

"That's _bull_, and you _know_ it!" Jenna said angrily to Brandon.

"Oh really? Well, guess what? You can't prove anything!" Brandon shot back.

Next to Brandon, Grant Whitman was on his cell phone, discussing another case, all the while trying to talk over the feuding ex-spouses.

After having listened to the two sides argue for an inanely large amount of time, Kate knew she had to put an end to the back and forth once and for all. This wasn't like her: she typically didn't allow things to escalate as far as they had. Maybe if her head weren't so muddled up with other thoughts, she'd have had a better grip of this situation. It was obvious by now that the mediation had spiraled out of control and would no longer be settled out of court, but she'd be damned if she didn't restore a sense of decorum back into her Conference Room. Just as she was preparing to speak up, there was a knock on the door and Leo appeared. 'Good old, Leo,' Kate thought, as everyone momentarily stopped yelling to glance at the person who had just entered the room.

Kate seized this opportunity to divert their attention, even though her attempt proved to be nothing short of a pathetic attempt.

"Everyone, this is my assistant, Leo," Kate said, scurrying over to a slightly overwhelmed Leo and dragging him into the room. "Leo, this is…everyone."

Leo earned three half-hearted 'hello's, before Jenna and Brandon redirected their attention to each other and continued their heated argument.

Kate sighed wearily.

"Damn! Even when she's mad as hell, she's hot!" Leo remarked softly.

Kate looked over at her assistant, and as expected, his eyes were glued on Jenna.

"I don't really know what she's arguing with that dude about, and I don't even know if she's right or wrong; but I swear on my dead hamster's grave, if that woman asked me for his head on a platter, I just might do it," Leo said, still entranced by the fiery brunette.

Kate rolled her eyes. Typical guy. Something told Kate that Jenna was used to having men fawn over her beauty.

"How the hell did it come to this?" Kate asked, watching the scene unfold in front her as she stood next to Leo.

"You mean, when did this go from a potential out of court settlement to a typical courtroom arena?" Leo questioned.

"Uh huh. I, for one, have _no_ idea," Kate said, shaking her head.

All she knew is that from the information she had gathered during this so-called "mediation," she felt more compelled to side with Jenna than with Brandon. And although both spouses were equally engaged in their argument, she could tell that Brandon was a difficult man to deal with, and that Jenna was trying her hardest to hold her ground against her arrogant, entitled ex-husband.

Ben looked down the hallway to see if Leo was on his way back from informing Kate about their offsite lunch. Upon seeing no sign of Leo, Ben considered going over the Conference Room himself to see what was delaying him. Not only that, but he hadn't seen more than a few seconds of Kate all morning, which gave him even more incentive to casually stroll in there with a legitimate excuse.

Kate and Leo stood helplessly rooted in their spots. Kate, still trying to figure out how to diffuse the situation; and Leo, still every bit as enamored by Jenna Parker.

"I can't believe that after _everything_ we've been through together, you'd treat me like I'm some good-for-nothing con-artist who's trying to usurp your entire estate," Jenna said, a mixture of hurt and anger welling up in her eyes.

"Oh come on! Don't try and make me the bad guy here," Brandon warned. "It took _two_ people to ruin this relationship, and I'm just trying to hold on to what's rightfully _mine_!"

"Fine!" Jenna retorted. "You want a courtroom fight? You've got one!"

Kate secretly applauded Jenna's sheer determination in standing her ground against a glorified bully.

"I hope you find yourself a _damn_ good lawyer, because you're sure as _hell_ gonna need one!" Brandon spat out venomously.

Just then the door to the Conference Room opened, and Ben Grogan walked in so perfectly on cue, that he might as well have been an answer to a prayer.

For some reason, at that moment, Kate recalled their first meeting at the bar and their brief exchange about "fate." She recalled bitterly referring to it as a "fickle bitch" on that God awful day, and now, she couldn't help feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. It's as though said "bitch" had entered the room with him, only this time, Kate realized that she played no part in the present story.

"Ben?" Jenna exclaimed in astonishment, her lips curving into a genuine smile for the first time. There was an unmistakable sparkle in her eyes. "Hi," she said softly.

"Jenna," Ben breathed. "Hey."

Kate's eyes travelled from Ben's surprised face, to Jenna's happy one, and back to Ben's in time to see his mouth melt into a warm smile. Something about the profound looks she witnessed being exchanged told her that these two shared a deep-seeded connection with quite a bit of history, and honestly, she didn't like it one bit.


	3. A Strategy to Verify Lingering Feelings

**CHAPTER 3 – A Strategy to Verify Lingering Feelings**

The entire room grew silent as four pairs of curious eyes darted back and forth between the two individuals standing farthest away from each other in the room, intrigued by their surprise connection.

The prolonged eye contact between Ben and Jenna continued to make Kate uncomfortable, and though she knew the exact reason behind her emotions, she preferred living in denial. Still, she let out a sigh of relief as she watched Ben's smile start to diminish as he seemed to become aware of his surroundings again.

Ben cleared his throat to put an end to the room's pin-drop silence.

"So…what are you doing here?" he asked, still seemingly shocked to see the woman at the other end of the room.

"Uh…long story," she summarized, sending a strong glare in Brandon's direction before averting her eyes back to Ben again. "You?"

The glare didn't go unnoticed by Ben, who concluded that it was a grave situation that had brought Jenna into Reed & Reed that day, and that the man she had just shot a nasty look was most likely why she was there participating in a mediation.

"I work here," Ben informed her in response to her question. "I'm partnered with Reed & Reed."

Jenna's eyes widened with astonishment.

"Really?" she asked. "But I didn't see your name on the door…"

"Well, that's because I'm a modest guy," Ben quipped, attempting to somewhat lighten the mood. "I'm happy being a faceless crusader behind the scenes."

Jenna giggled.

"Uh-huh. Since when?" she challenged.

Ben smirked proudly.

Kate knew that only he was smug enough to consider the backhanded comment as a form of flattery. Still, it bothered her that Jenna seemed to know Ben well enough to know that it would be received that way.

"Excuse me," Brandon chimed in looking somewhat irate. "How do you two know each other?" he asked, pointing a forefinger in opposite directions at Ben and Jenna.

That did it. That one simple question toppled any sign of levity in the room. There was a blatant uneasiness between Ben and Jenna as each one attempted to address the question, only to be unable to conjure up the right words. However, it was quickly evident that they didn't need to after all.

"Hold on a second…" Brandon started to say, as if something had sparked in his memory. "This isn't the same Ben…your ex-fiancé Ben, is it?" he asked, looking from Ben to Jenna for affirmation.

Jenna froze and looked helplessly at Brandon, her body language and silence speaking volumes.

"Heeeey Ben!" Brandon exclaimed in an annoyingly exaggerated tone of mock cheerfulness as he walked toward him with his hand extended. "Brandon Parker: Jenna's soon-to-be – thank goodness – ex-husband. It's nice to finally meet the man who was able to get away with what the rest of us men can only dream of: getting his sweet revenge on a greedy, self-involved, manipulative woman without paying too much of a price."

There was a definitive tick in Ben's jaw as his eyes narrowed on Brandon. He briefly glanced at Jenna, whose expression clearly conveyed a mixture of hurt and embarrassment at Brandon's blatant smear on her character. What stood out to Kate, however, is that Ben seemed genuinely affected by the emotions on Jenna's face, which was why she was completely dumbfounded when he actually accepted Brandon's handshake.

"Same here," Ben replied with a crooked smile as he shook the other man's hand. "It's nice to know that I'm not the biggest tool that Jenna ever became involved with. Hopefully now that it's all behind her, she finally understands that she can do a whole lot better next time."

Ben's face transformed from a sarcastic smile into a challenging glare, leaving Brandon flabbergasted. It was clearly not the response he was looking for.

"You're seriously going to defend that _slut_ to me?" he confronted angrily. "Who the _hell_ do you think you are?"

There was a second tick in Ben's jaw. Kate decided that it was caused by Brandon's choice of adjective to describe Jenna. She took in a deep breath and questioned why Ben's reactions to Jenna were having such continued effect on her.

Ben stepped closer to Brandon, an unwavering determination in his eyes.

"I'm some guy you met about three minutes ago whom you decided to make your blood brother because we both share a history with the same woman. You heard our story, so you figured I'd sympathize with you, and tell you how badly you got screwed, am I right?" He paused. "All we have in common is that I was an ass to her then, and you're being an ass to her now. And I wouldn't go around labeling people if I were you; I come across nearly a dozen douchebags like yourself a day in the courtroom to take anything you say seriously."

The color on Brandon's face turned a deep red.

"How _dare_ you speak to me that way!" he fumed. "I'll drag you to court for slander and I'll slap you with a lawsuit _so_ big that you—"

Grant Whitman stepped in to speak to his client and stop him from continuing his tantrum. The first half of their conversation was illegible as Whitman's approach was to calmly whisper to his client in an effort to pacify him, much like a parent trying to soothe a child in a public place following an outburst.

Ben stood there, cool as ice, completely unaffected by a bunch of lame threats that he knew better than anyone wouldn't hold any water in court.

"We should get to work on building our case," Whitman said, as he started to lead his client by the elbow toward the door of the Conference Room.

A bitterly frowning Brandon Parker whipped his arm away from his attorney's grasp and turned to face Jenna.

"I'll see you in court!" he said hatefully before redirecting his attention to Ben.

He glowered at him for a few seconds before stomping out of the room in a huff, followed closely by his attorney.

A veil of awkwardness set into the room once again as none of the four remaining people seemed to know how to break the silence. Being the only one who knew all three of the people there on a personal level, Ben took it as his cue to speak up first.

"Well," he said somewhat loudly, trying to shake off the tension still stirring amongst them. "Leo and I were going to grab some lunch." He looked at Jenna. "It was nice to see you again," he added, his voice softening considerably as he spoke to her. "Good luck with…everything."

Kate felt relieved as Ben and Leo started to walk out of the room together. That feeling, however, only lasted for an instant.

"Ben, wait!" Jenna called out hurriedly.

Ben turned around and met her gaze.

"Can we talk?" she asked hopefully.

Ben sighed.

"Jenna, I…" he started to say before she interrupted him.

"Please?" she beseeched.

Ben stood there for a few seconds and contemplated his decision. He turned to look at Leo.

"Is it cool if we move our lunch back a few more minutes?" he asked. "I won't be long."

Leo casually waved his hand at Ben.

"No worries, man. Take your time," he said understandingly.

Kate knew that the two exes were expecting privacy, but for some reason she was finding it difficult to move. She felt this strong urge to stay rooted in her spot and listen to every word that was about to be spoken, but she knew that that move would have consequences…unpleasant consequences, at that. Still, she couldn't help meeting Ben's gaze one final time before she exited the room. Ben, on the other side, already had his eyes fixated on her. The exchange was brief, but Kate felt a flutter in her stomach as the look that passed between them seemed meaningful somehow. Leo let Kate pass before shutting the door behind him.

"Wow, what the hell just happened in there?" he asked shaking his head.

"More than I bargained for," Kate replied, clearly distracted.

Leo turned sideways to find his boss's attention still completely focused on the other side of the glass walls. He wondered how much of her statement was implied professionally…and personally.

"Um, maybe we can go over your afternoon mediation," he suggested. "I have the case file on my desk. It's a real doozy."

Kate hesitated briefly, casting one final glance over her shoulder at Ben and Jenna before joining Leo on the walk to her office.

Things were still at a standstill inside the Conference Room as both people stood uneasily on opposite sides of the width of the long table.

"So," Jenna initiated, nervously tucking a lock of chestnut brown hair behind her ear. "Long time no see."

Ben smiled wistfully, going along with her attempt to make conversation before leading up to whatever it is she really wanted to talk to him about.

"Seems like a whole 'nother lifetime ago," he agreed.

There was a brief pause as they both visibly pondered what to say to each other next.

"How've you been, Benny?" Jenna asked.

"Oh, you know…surviving. Trying to seize each day by the horns as it comes."

"Some things never change," Jenna said with a knowing smile. She paused. "You look good," she added.

Ben took in her appearance.

"So do you," he remarked honestly, reflecting her smile.

Regardless of everything that had transpired between them in the past, deep down he acknowledged that that statement would always hold true.

Jenna graciously accepted the compliment with a smile before her face started to grow grim.

"Thank you for not going along with Brandon," she said quietly.

Ben looked taken aback by that comment.

"Did you think I would ever do something like that?" he asked.

"No," Jenna replied. "Still…how can I blame you if you did?"

Ben grew visibly uncomfortable at what was obviously a rhetorical question.

"Uh…listen, Jenna. I don't think strolling down memory lane is a good idea for either of us."

"I know," she accepted. "I know." She sighed deeply. "Listen Ben, I really need you right now."

Ben looked shocked by her request.

"You...need me?" he asked slowly.

"Yes," Jenna admitted. She slowly began to walk around the table and came to a stop a few inches away from Ben. "I know that we decided never to see each other again the last time we were in the same room together, but there _must _be a reason that…"

"Oh, please don't say the four letter 'f' word," Ben begged before Jenna could finish her sentence.

"What?" she asked in puzzlement.

Ben realized he had some clearing up to do.

"'Fate,'" he stated hesitantly. "I was hoping you wouldn't say 'fate.' You see, she and I haven't had a good run lately."

"Oh," Jenna replied, looking somewhat informed. "I'm sorry to hear that," she offered.

She could tell by Ben's distant gaze that the backstory behind his resentment of the word still upset him. She decided to press on to the matter at hand.

"Ben," she continued gently. "I truly believe that there was a reason you walked through that door when you did today. Whether it was fate, or luck, or coincidence, or whatever…it really doesn't matter beyond semantics. _But_ you couldn't have entered my life at a more perfect moment than you did a few minutes ago."

Ben could tell by the resolve in Jenna's eyes that she really did believe what she was saying.

"What do you need from me?" he asked cautiously.

Jenna took in a deep breath.

"I need you to be my lawyer," she said, with a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

Leo watched Kate in utter amusement from the chair on the other side of the desk as she ingested what seemed like her fiftieth Skittle.

"You know, if you're not careful, this could eventually escalate into a pill-popping addiction," he teased.

Kate scowled at her assistant.

"Haha," she said sarcastically.

Leo smirked at what he knew was really going on.

"Ben sure can pick 'em, can't he?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes narrowing on Leo as she waited for an explanation.

Leo held up his hands in surrender.

"Nothing," he said defensively. "Just that she's pretty" He paused for dramatic effect before continuing, "…and you're pretty," he added with a grin.

"Thank you," Kate said, softening at the compliment before growing serious again. "But that's really all we have in common."

"Yes, but he obviously had feelings for her in the past, and we both know he has feelings for you now," Leo offered.

Kate immediately sat up.

"Did he say something?" she asked intently.

Leo looked a little taken aback.

"Well, no…" he said, noticing Kate's face fall slightly. "But, isn't it obvious?"

"Isn't what obvious?" Kate countered. "Ever since we became neighbors we've been drifting further and further apart…_literally_ speaking even, what with him moving away and all."

Leo observed Kate's clear frustration.

"Permission to speak freely, boss," he motioned.

Kate observed him for a few moments as she considered whether or not to grant his request. She knew that whatever he had to say was going to involve a reality check. The thing of it was, however, that most of those reality checks usually led to brutal honesty that she wasn't always ready to face. Still, she loved him, and what he said did matter to her.

"Fine," she yielded with a sigh.

"I guess I just don't understand what you expect from him," Leo began with a shrug. "It's obvious to me that he likes you, and I _know_ you like him, but you haven't done anything about it. I mean, he's tried asking you out, he's confessed his feelings and given you a chance to do the same, and he's even tried waiting; but you haven't let him in or even given him any sign of hope that things might ever go somewhere for you guys. What's the guy supposed to do? He can't force you into anything you don't want to get into, but he also can't wait forever. You may not want to hear this, but at some point, he _is_ going to move on. And even though I don't swing that way, even _I'm _well aware that Ben is an attractive guy. It's not going to be that hard for him to find a pretty little thing in a tight dress with an equally intellectual mind."

Kate picked up a paper weight and juggled it from hand to hand as she carefully weighed Leo's words. Brutally honest with a perfect dose of a reality check stirred in for her benefit.

"Maybe he won't have to look far," she said with a grave expression on her face.

"What are you talking about?" Leo asked in confusion.

"Well, Jenna Parker in there sure fits that profile, and we all know from that recent debacle that she very recently became single."

"So? Just because Ben found out she's single he's going to try to rekindle their relationship?" Leo questioned, not buying any of it.

"Did you see the way they were looking at each other?" Kate insisted, "Clearly there are still feelings there."

Leo looked at her in disbelief.

"Okay, now you're just being paranoid," he said dismissively. "They have a history. They were genuinely in love with each other at one time. I'm sure that seeing each other again after all that time brought back a flood of memories. That doesn't mean that they still have feelings for each other. Didn't their relationship end with both of them cheating on each other? I mean, hell, from what Ben told me, it was one _ugly _breakup. I doubt it's one he wants to revisit."

"Come on, Leo," Kate disputed. "Ugly breakups don't necessarily mean the ends of relationships. Sometimes a hiatus just proves to be a good thing."

Leo sighed wearily.

"Just because it took you and Justin multiple times to finally get off the merry-go-round doesn't mean it'll be the same way for Ben. Besides, he told me that he and Jenna had made a pact never to see each other again."

"And yet they're still in there together…alone."

"And?" Leo asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Isn't it obvious what she wanted to talk to him about?" Kate persisted.

"Well, maybe despite whatever they'd decided all those years ago, she wanted to catch up after seeing him after such a long time?" Leo offered.

Kate rolled her eyes and leaned forward in her chair. As brilliant as Leo's mind was, he did sometimes require a tiny nudge.

"The mediation was an obvious bust and this case is going to court. Until now, Jenna has been representing herself. However, when she goes to court, she can't continue to do that. Think about it: what does Brandon have that Jenna doesn't?"

Leo's eyes widened as realization dawned.

"That's what she wanted to talk to Ben about," he deduced. "She wants to ask him to be her lawyer."

"Bingo," Kate said with a nod.

Leo watched as his boss sat there looking sullen.

"It doesn't mean he's going to agree," Leo offered. "He was going to leave for lunch with me even after seeing her until she stopped him."

"That's before he realized she needed a lawyer," Kate said. "He already stood there and defended her to Brandon, who's to say he won't enjoy doing it in a courtroom? It doesn't help that Brandon rubbed him the wrong way, which is just added motivation for someone like Ben."

Leo temporarily seemed at a loss for words.

"You're assuming too much," he said. "We don't even know if he said 'yes.'"

Kate stared at the paper weight as she set it down on the desk, deep in thought as she did so.

"Okay," she said, looking up at Leo. "If he refuses to represent her and lets her walk out of his life, we'll know that he's over her, but…" she visibly cringed before she continued, "if he takes her case and they start having routine client-attorney meetings, we'll know that he still has some lingering feelings for the soon-to-be Mrs. Brandon Parker."

Leo shook his head.

"That's a terrible measuring scale," he said, clearly voicing his disappointment.

"Well, Leo, it's all I've got," Kate said, exasperation flowing from her voice as she looked around restlessly. "What's taking him so long, anyway?" she added, crossing her arms and sinking into her chair.

Leo watched as a shaky Kate popped another Skittle into her mouth. Unlike most of his friends who constantly complained about how much they detested their bosses, Leo had always considered himself fortunate for having a boss like Kate. She had always treated him with respect, and more like a friend and equal than a subordinate. He loved her dearly and cherished the relationship they had built over the years. Still, he couldn't help but mentally admonish her one inherent weakness: her childishness often proved to be her biggest and most detracting setback. As he opened his mouth to comment, however, he noticed a tall, well-dressed figure approaching them, and stopped short of what he was about to say.

Ben sauntered over to them with a newfound spring in his step.

"So Leonardo, you ready for some authentic Mexican food, buddy?" he asked chirpily, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he came to a stop next to Kate's chair.

Leo and Kate exchanged a look of mutual confusion at their coworker's behavior. What could this cheery mood mean in terms of how his conversation with Jenna had just gone? The level of curiosity between the two was certainly piqued.

"Uh…yeah…" Leo replied, shifting his gaze from Kate to Ben as he stood up from his seat.

"Would you like to join us?" Ben asked, looking down at Kate, the volume in his voice reducing substantially as he addressed her.

Kate's eyes shifted from Ben to Leo and back to Ben.

"Um…actually, I can't," she said, the tone of her voice matching his. "Gotta get to work on my afternoon appointment," she added, holding up the case file sitting in front of her on the desk. "Leo says it's a 'doozy,'" she finished with a nervous chuckle.

Ben observed her closely and nodded, as if expecting to receive this response.

"Okay, he said simply. "I'll see you later."

He glanced at Leo as a sign that he was ready to go and turned to make his way toward the elevator.

Leo locked eyes with Kate for a brief second before he walked away from the desk and started to follow Ben. He and Kate had known each other long enough for her to convey with just that momentarily glance that she was expecting information from him when he returned from his guys' lunch.


End file.
